Тесты ЕГЭ по английскому языку. № 2-3. Тема: Интервью с женщиной-предпринимателем.
Вы услышите интервью с женщиной-предпринимателем. В заданиях A8-A14 вставьте цифру 1, 2 или 3, соответствующую выбранному варианту ответа. Прослушайте запись дважды. Во время первого прослушивания заносите только те ответы, в которых вы уверены. Во время второго прослушивания ответьте на оставшиеся утверждения.

A8 Nicky says that when she worked at the London Stock Exchange,
1) she got on well with other members of staff.
2) she was glad that she wasn’t still at school.
3) she liked the repetitive nature of the work.

A9 Nicky says that in her first job in New York
1) she quickly learnt American phrases that had been unfamiliar to her.
2) she had to deal with criticism from other people.
3) she disliked the way the place was run.

A10 One reason why she decided to start her own cafe was that
1) she met a supplier who suggested that she should do it.
2) she saw how successful a nearby business was.
3) she was unable to continue in her previous kind of work.

A11 Nicky says that after four years of running the cafe,
1) she began to make a profit from it.
2) she was forced to borrow more money.
3) she decided to reach an agreement with her partner.

A12 One problem that Nicky mentions was caused by
1) faulty equipment.
2) producing large quantities of food.
3) having to change her accommodation.

A13 What does Nicky say about the review of her cafe?
1) She had been told that it might contain negative comments.
2) The newspaper was initially not keen to do it.
3) It led to the cafe becoming successful.

A14 Nicky says that, since the success of the cafe,
1) she has had to raise the minimum charge.
2) some celebrities have complained about having to queue.
3) she has made rules about behaviour inside it.

Текст и пояснения.
А8 2 Ники говорит, что работа на Лондонской валютной бирже была тяжелой ('hard work'), но это было "лучше, чем ходить в школу" ('better than being at school').
 
А9 2 Ники говорит, что остальные сотрудники потеряли всякое терпение ('got very frustrated') с ней, потому что она не понимала слов и выражений, используемых в американских столовых. Они показывали ей свое раздражение по этому поводу, и, по ее словам, ей "пришлось учиться постоять за себя" ('had to learn to stand up for herself'). Ей приходилось защищаться, когда они ее критиковали.
 
А10 3 Она повредила колено в результате несчастного случая и, когда она вернулась к работе официантки, колено "не выдержало" ('gave way'). B результате, она не могла продолжать работать, и это подтолкнуло ее к выводу о том, что пришло время открыть собственный бизнес.
 
А11 1 Она рассказывает, что в общей сложности она вернула $40,000 - $20,000, которые ей одолжил отец, и $20,000, внесенные партнером (через три года у нее уже не было партнера). В результате выплаты этих денег, она "не заработала ничего за первые четыре года" ('didn't make any money for the first four years'). Это значит, что за первые четыре года кафе не принесло ей прибыли, но спустя четыре года она начала на нем зарабатывать.
 
А12 2 Она говорит, что одной из проблем было то, что кухонная плита ('stove'), постоянно выходила из строя ('pack up'), так как кухонные горшки, которые она в нее ставила, были слишком тяжелыми. Они были слишком тяжелыми из-за огромного количества ('huge quantities') еды, которую она в них закладывала, чтобы приготовить блюдо под названием 'shepherd's pie' (картофельная запеканка с мясом) в большом объеме.
 
А13 3 Она говорит, что эта рецензия стала "поворотным пунктом" ('the turning point') - она изменила все. Рецензия была "превосходная" ('fantastic') (в ней говорилось, что ее кафе - чудесное место). То есть кафе приобрело известность благодаря этой рецензии.
 
A14 3 Она говорит, что с тех пор, как кафе стало пользоваться популярностью, она "ввела правила" ('imroduced fules') касательно поведения клиентов с официантками (они должны быть с ними вежливыми" ('pleasant')). Правила также касаются минимума, который клиенты должны потрать, и чаевых сотрудникам.
 
Interviewer: Today my guest is Nicky Perry, who's had huge success in New York with her cafe Tea & Sympathy, which serves traditional British food. Nicky, let’s go back for a minute. What was your first job?
Businesswoman: It was at the London Stock Exchange, when I was 14. I was employed as a tea lady. I would go down to the kitchen in the morning with the old ladies and get the trolleys ready with all the cups and saucers, milk, tea, sugar and biscuits. I would go to each floor, pushing the trolley round, pouring the tea. By the time I cleaned the cups, it was time to do it all over again. Serving tea to stock-exchange workers was hard work, but better than being at school. But my parents, who were both self-educated, encouraged me to go to college and do exams.
Interviewer: So that’s what you did?
Businesswoman: Yes, and after college, I worked in bars, clubs and cafes. I’d dreamt of living in America and moved to New York when I was 21. I got my first job in a coffee shop in the financial district. But it wasn’t easy. The other staff got very frustrated with me. I didn’t understand diner language, such as ‘sunny side up’ for eggs. I had to learn to stand up for myself. After I'd been there for a year, I knew that what I wanted to do was start my own British cafe, but it wasn’t until ten years later; when I had a green card allowing me to work permanently in the US, that I did it.
Interviewer: So how did it happen? How did you come to start your own cafe?
Businesswoman: It came about after I had an accident on my bicycle and hurt my knee. When I tried to wait on tables again, my knee gave way. I knew then it was time to start my own business. The man who supplied the vegetables to the restaurant where I was working told me about a site in Greenwich Village that was available. I had often walked past that restaurant at night and peered in the window. It was ugly, with lots of grandfather clocks. but I knew my cafe would work there.
Interviewer: How did you finance it?
Businesswoman: My father lent me £10,000 to start the business and I found a partner to contribute the same amount. I didn’t see eye to eye with my partner, however, and after a long period of quarrelling, I borrowed a lump sum of $20.000 and bought him out in the third year. I had to pay back $40.000 in total and didn’t make any money for the first four years.
Interviewer: Things didn’t always go smoothly, did they?
Businesswoman: One of my problems was that the stove at the cafe would often pack up because of the weight of the cooking pots - they contained huge quantities of mince and mashed potatoes for shepherd’s pie. So I started living on the same block as the cafe and I would carry the food to my apartment and cook it there because I couldn’t afford to buy another oven.
Interviewer: But it’s all very successful now, isn‘t it?
Businesswoman: Yes, the turning point was a review of the cafe in The New York Times. I had written to the food editor telling him about the cafe. I got a call a few weeks later saying ‘We’ve been to your cafe. We are reviewing it, so look out.’ I was very nervous but the review was fantastic.
Interviewer: And it's a very popular place that attracts celebrities, I believe.
Businesswoman: Yes, but I make them wait, just like everyone else. It is not unusual to see a queue outside, even in the snow. The cafe became so popular that I introduced rules a few years ago. They are taped to the door and request that ‘patrons be pleasant to waitresses’ and state that there is a minimum charge of $8.50 per person. The rules also advise visitors from out of town to tip.
Interviewer: Well, I hope your success continues. Thanks for talking to me.
Businesswoman: Pleasure.
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